Snowpiercer TV series pilot finds a network, Wilford is merciful

Last year it was announced that Bong Joon-ho’s brilliant sci-fi Snowpiercer was in the process of being adapted for TV. Now, a pilot for the show has been ordered, which is being written and show-run by Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles).

Variety reports that TNT has snatched up this new take on the film, which was an adaptation of the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette. The producers include Bong himself and the amazing Park Chan-wook, who also produced the film.

TNT’s executive VP Sarah Aubrey said “Snowpiercer has one of the most original concepts to hit the screen in the last decade, and it’s one that offers numerous opportunities for deeper exploration in a series format. We look forward to expanding TNT’s relationship with Tomorrow Studios and their take on a world where humanity is pushed to the extreme.”

If you haven’t read the comic or watched the film (which, if you live in the UK, would require importing it from abroad because it STILL HASN’T BEEN RELEASED HERE, WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS GOING ON WITH THAT), it finds the last survivors of the human race living on a train that goes in a constant loop around the frozen Earth. The wealthy live a life of luxury in the front, while the lower classes live in squalor at the back. A rebellion is led by Curtis (Chris Evans) to drive through the train and claim the engine, because whoever controls the engine controls the world.

Although we’re sure that the dystopian grimness and bloody action could be easily translated to TV, our main concern and hope is that the sly and frequently weird sense of humour is carried over too. Bong Joon-ho filled the film with eccentric details and an incredible cast (Swinton’s gurning Mason is instantly iconic), and that’s a huge part of the film’s excellence.